Oregon Zoo loses orangutan, zebra to illness

Pamplin Media Group, Jul 9, 2010, Updated Jul 9, 2010 (1 Reader comment)

Carli Davidson / The Oregon Zoo

Frack, left, a 28-year-old Damara zebra, gets a nuzzle from Citation, her exhibit mate at the Oregon Zoo. The ailing Frack was euthanized July 9. On July 8, the zoo’s 22-year-old beloved orangutan Batik, inset, died after battling a gall bladder infection.

Two Oregon Zoo animals died this week, one who fought an illness and another that had to be euthanized.

Zoo officials said Batik, a 22-year-old Sumatran orangutan died Thursday, July 8, after fighting for a month an infection in her gall bladder as well as an abnormal kidney.

On Friday, July 9, zoo veterinarians were forced to euthanize Frack, a 28-year-old Damara zebra that had been suffering from congestive heart failure.

“We’ve been treating Frack four more than four months, with a lot of clinical advice and support from veterinarians Jennifer Saunders and Karen Blake at Willamette Valley Equine Surgical and Medical Center,” said zoo veterinarian Lisa Harrenstien. “She appeared to be managing well with her many medications for the first few months, but she started to decline a few weeks ago, and was having increased difficulty breathing. This was a sign that her lungs were becoming more fluid-filled, due to back-pressure from declining heart function.”

In early June, veterinarians discovered the kidney ailment in Batik, said Mitch Finnegan, zoo veterinarian. Surgery was performed to remove both organs, but Batik continued to decline, suffering a number of complications and setbacks.

“Orangutans are difficult patients under the best of circumstances, and Batik had very serious and complex health problems that tested the commitment and resourcefulness of both the veterinary and keeper staff,” Finnegan said. “Despite our hard work and best efforts, in the end we were unable to get ahead of Batik’s many problems. Batik had a kind and gentle spirit despite all she had been through in her life, and she will be greatly missed by all of us who were fortunate enough to have known her.”

Batik was born Aug. 19, 1987, at Chicago’s Brookfield Zoo, and was hand-raised by humans when her mother became ill and could not care for her. She was later sent to live at the Sacramento Zoo, but did not get along well with the other orangutans in the zoo’s group. She came to the Oregon Zoo in 1996 and had become close with both Inji and Kutai.

Keepers credit Batik, Inji and Kutai, with helping to raise public awareness about the plight of these highly endangered creatures.

Frack was born at Kansas City, Mo.’s Swope Park Zoo in January 1982, and moved to the Oregon Zoo in March 1999 along with her exhibit mate, Citation.

Damara zebras typically live more than 20 years.

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